Show Pilot Plant at Grand Junction Tests T Ores for Best Treatment T Methods Opened for lor use late last year year year- almost most at New Years Year's Years was was the Atomic Energy Commissions Commission's new pilot plant inside the compound compound com com- pound at Grand Junction Junction Junction-an an imposing imposing im im- posing osing structure about which the theman theman theman man accompanying visitors around the DIe compound on guided tours says ays Sh Shi I This much Is la open for lor discussion discussion discus discus- sion mon however It Is operated by the National Lead Company for forDIe forthe forthe the DIe As At one Grand Junction writer saw the story last December December Dec Dec- ember Any spy worthy of 01 his weekly rubles could probably sit on a hillside hillside hillside hill hill- side overlooking the compound and count the tho barrels of 01 yellow cake moving in and out He lie would perhaps per- per haps come up with the production answer More probably he would come up with a hole halo in the head or at the very least earn a speakIng speaking speaking speak speak- ing acquaintance with the constabulary and a long look at atthe atthe the be interior of the nearest federal lockup It isn't quite as easy as that thatto thatto thatto to determine output of the plant because each barrel contains a different different dif dU- ferent amount of uranium concen concen- But Out he would have a fair Idea of how many barrels were turned out as though that would do him any good from inside the pokey There is certain information about the pilot plant that officials of the and the National Lead Co will talk about The job of the plant is to develop technological data for prospective uranium millers millers mil mil- lers Jers on the best processes for workIng working working work work- ing particular ores This one function function function tion alone says the will probably probably probably pro pro- bably save the Industry many millions millions millions mil mil- lions of dollars annually It works something like this Uranium b e ear earing a r I 1 n g ores vary greatly in types and it is necessary necessary necessary sary to determine the particular treatment necessary for any anyone one type of ore before it can be extracted extract extract- ed and packed into concentrate That is the job of the pilot plant to test ores and to find out the best method of extracting the yellow yellow yellow yel yel- low mineral Therefore When a mill is planned planned plan plan- ned lied to serve a particular mining section testing already done by bythe bythe bythe the pilot plant at Grand Junction enables the mill operator to set up Ole Aye type of plant needed to treat ores from that mining district It tt saves saves sometimes months of experiments millions of dollars in time and materials and permits permits per per- mits almost immediate operation e of ethe the mill The pilot plant also enables compilation compilation compilation com com- of cost data useful in deIgning designing designing de de- signing new mills In other words cost of processing certain ores through the pilot plant Is r 1 1 t d' d I 1 u I 1 I I I tI t tI I I M 4 M xo s r 2 Y s t h r f be tp A a f w wAS AS THE NEW pilot plant in the compound at Grand Junction appears from one end The ramp seen leading Into the building Y hauls ore into the plant where it is subjected to various tests to determine the best treatment methods and to establish the least expensive system of separating the yellow mineral from ore Uranium ores are shipped to the pilot plant operated by National National Na Na- Lead Co from all over the Colorado Plateau V 4 found lound to be a certain figure therefore therefore there- there fore lore a regular mill set up to process process process pro pro- cess this same ore can can or should do it at a similar cost Original cost of the plant at the compound in hi Grand Junction Is about and it actually Is a small-sized small uranium mill in use as a laboratory It is thought to be the largest uranium testing plant in the the- free world Although it was not built for production It t serves as a laboratory for development development development de de- work in special ore recovery recovery recovery re re- covery problems Actually there is nothing secret about the equipments equipment the mill just in the way it is set up and its specified duties For ex ex- ample the usual standard equipment equipment equip equip- ment of 01 the ordinary uranium mill millis is found a ball grinder settling tanks and and filtering presses It comprises the alkaline processing system a commonly used method but the tl actual inner sanctum methods used here are classified However the overall general process process pro pro- process cess is not secret Raw ores come Into the alkaline system at one end and wind up at the other as uranium yellow cake in a crushing crush crush- ing leaching washing filtering and settling process Sodium carbonate carbon carbon- ate an alkaline material is used in the leaching which Is 18 simply a dissolving process to free the uranium uranium uranium ura ura- from the ore are Compare it to the system used by railroaders to remove lime deposits in boilers they use the leaching process too officials say there are approximately approximately ap ap- I Ii i proximately 27 different types of oC uranium-bearing uranium ore Such a laboratory laboratory laboratory lab lab- oratory as has been erected by th the at st Grand Junction will result in savings of 01 many millions of dollars in determining just ho how j each of the ores ores each with its tta I many peculiarities can best b be treated and the most economical method of doing the job J. 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